Undertow (Widdershins #5) - Signed Paperback

Nerion:
My voice heals and ruins in the same breath. I’m a siren and every note is a hook, every melody draws promises from mortals that think they mean it until silence steals it back. I’ve watched their eyes clear, their vows dissolve, and my heart fracture in the aftermath. So I sing alone. I stay alone.

Until he finds me.

Theodore Voss—witch, varsity swimmer, and future valedictorian. He catches me skinny dipping in the academy pool after hours and now he can’t keep his eyes off me. After a one night stand on Halloween, we’re both hooked.

But my kind bears a deeper curse than a dangerous song. Once a siren gives their heart, it cannot be taken back. If our lover’s affection fades… we fade with it until we’re nothing but seafoam and memory. I have been hurt before. If I’m wrong about him, it will be the last mistake I ever make.

Teddy:
I swim to uphold my family legacy, my father’s dreams, and make an olympic team that is always just a few seconds out of reach. To appease them all I must keep the grades perfect, keep the times sharp, and keep the feelings locked down.

Then I see him.

Nerion doesn’t cloud my mind though… he clears it. What I feel toward him is not some enchantment… it’s the first honest thing in my life. But convincing a siren who has been drowning in false love to trust me might be the hardest race I’ll ever swim. We’re just friends with benefits until we’re not. And now my family wants to tear us apart.

I could live with losing a race or my family’s name. But I cannot lose him.

Undertow is a haunting, fated-mates romance full of deception, doubt, and devotion—where one man must prove his love is stronger than any curse, and the other must risk it all for a love that once lost, could turn his broken heart to seafoam. Perfect for readers who crave forbidden heat, aching stakes, dark academy romance, and a love that pulls you under and refuses to let go.

Excerpt from Chapter Eight: Teddy

“Oh, there’s my friend,” he said suddenly, pointing toward another man that was heading our way.
The moment I saw him, my jaw nearly hit the ground.
He was wearing what appeared to be almost nothing at all. A mask covered the upper half of his face like most everyone else. It was an intricate, living creation that reminded me of mine but with deep blue-purple flowers beginning to bloom among delicate vines and branches. The mask contrasted beautifully with his flame-red hair, which was styled to look artfully tousled.
But it was his body that made my mouth go dry. His pale skin seemed to shimmer slightly in the enchanted lights, almost like there were patterns beneath the surface catching the glow. He wore tight black shorts that clung to his muscular thighs and left little to the imagination where they bulged around his cock. His chest and abs were perfectly defined, like a sculpture come to life, draped in a thin gold fishnet that I wasn’t entirely sure was a shirt or an actual net.
“Theo, this is my friend...” Forest hesitated, then said, “Neptune. Neptune, this is Theo.”
Neptune’s eyes met mine through his mask, and I felt a jolt of recognition. Those eyes, vibrant blue like the summer sea… I’d seen them before. But before I could place them, he smiled, and my train of thought derailed completely.
“Hello, Theo,” he said, his voice smooth and melodic. “Nice mask.”
“Thanks,” I managed, trying not to stare at his nearly naked body. “Yours is... impressive too.”
Neptune laughed, a rich sound that seemed to wrap around me. “Forest made it for me. He’s quite talented with plants.”
“So I see,” I replied, finally finding my voice. “Are you cold? You’re not wearing... well, much.”
“I run hot,” Neptune said with a wink that made my cheeks flush beneath my mask. “Besides, it’s Halloween. The one night when everyone’s allowed to be a little scandalous. Do you like it?”
“I…” I stammered, trying to tap back into that confidence I’d been pretending to have. “I love it.”
Forest cleared his throat, a grin on his face. “I need to check on something with… the punch person?” It came out as more of a question than a statement. “Will you two be alright if I leave you alone for a bit?”
“We’ll manage,” Neptune replied, his eyes never leaving mine.
As Forest disappeared into the crowd, I became acutely aware of being alone with the most attractive man I’d ever seen. And the enchanted punch gave me courage I wouldn’t normally have.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked, gesturing toward the area where students were moving to the music.
Neptune’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by my boldness. “I’d love to.”
He took my hand and allowed me to lead him into the crowd. The band had shifted to a slower, more sensual rhythm, and bodies pressed closer together in the limited space. Neptune pulled me against him, his hands settling on my waist. My breath caught as our bodies aligned, the heat of him seeping through my clothes.
My cock began to react almost instantly. There was no way to hide it either, not when I was wearing such tight jeans. But Neptune didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the harder I got, the closer he pressed.
“I feel like I’ve seen you before,” I said, looking up into those impossibly blue eyes.
“Maybe you have,” he replied mysteriously. “Widdershins isn’t that big.”
We moved together to the music, and I was surprised by how natural it felt. My hands found their way to his shoulders, skin smooth and warm beneath my fingertips. The punch had made everything slightly dreamlike, the edges of reality softened just enough to let me enjoy the moment without overthinking.
“You’re a good dancer,” I told him.
“And you’re very cute,” he countered with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be so... forward.”
Something about his tone made me pause. “Do you know who I am?”
Neptune’s smile widened. “Maybe. Maybe not. Isn’t that the point of masks?”
Before I could respond, the music changed again, faster and more urgent. Neptune spun me around so my back was pressed against his chest, his arms encircling my waist. I could feel the heat of him all along my spine, his breath warm against my ear, and his growing bulge against my ass.
“Just feel the music,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear.
I let myself melt into him, my body moving in sync with his as his fingers worked under the hem of my shirt. Whatever this was and wherever it was going, I liked it. Tonight was my time to let go, to give in to desire.
So I did.